Liquid dispensing apparatus



Feb. 20, 1940. J. RETSEMA 2,190,908

LIQUID DISPENS ING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGI.

Jay )PETJE/WZ Feb. 20, 1940. J S M 2,190,908 LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUSFiled March 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Feb. 20, 1940. RETSEMA' 2,190,908

LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Feb. 20, 1940 PATENT OFFICE LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS JayRetscma, Muskegon Heights, Mich., assignor to John Wood ManufacturingCompany, Inc., Conshohocken, Pa., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationMarch 18,

Claims.

My invention is particularly applicable to metering pumps fordispensation of viscous liquids I such as lubricating greases, adaptedto be interchangeably connected with portable containers of differentforms. The liquid is elevated from such a detachable container by areciprocatory piston provided with a rack in mesh with a sectoral gear;which gear is operatively connected with a lever, the oscillatorymovement of which is limited to not more than one hundred eighty de-.

. having their axes parallel and each including projections which meshwith the other. One of said rotary elements is operatively connectedwith a' rotary index pointer which traverses a circular scale, havinggraduations indicating volumetric units.

As ordinarilyconstructed, apparatus for the purpose of dispensing suchlubricants includes one or more stufiing boxes containing packingmeanswhich must be frequently adjusted to prevent the escape of thelubricant. One advantageous feature of my invention is that it does notrequire any such packing means. Another advantageous feature of myinvention is that the pump actuating gear, its shaft, said rotaryelements of the displacement meter, the indicating means, the gearingconnecting them, and a spring pressed valve which retains the liquidunder pressure until any air or gases occluded therein areeliminated,are all contained in a single metal casing, so designed that it may bereadily formed of a single die-casting.

I My invention includes the various novel features of construction,arrangement, and method of operation hereinafter more definitelyspecified.

In said drawings;

Fig. I is a plan view of liquid dispensing apparatus convenientlyembodying my invention, on the removable lid of a portable liquidcontainer.

.Fig. II is an elevation of said apparatus, asseen from the lower sideof Fig. I; detachably con- ..nected with a lubricant container mountedupon a wheel truck.

Fig. III is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken .on the lineIII, III in Fig. I, in the direction of the arrows on that line, but ona larger scale.

Fig. IV is an inverted plan view of the mechanism casing shown in Fig.III.

Fig. V is an oblique plan view of theupper por- 1939, Serial No. 262,597

tion of said casing shown in Fig. III, as seen in the direction of thearrow on that figure.

Fig. VI is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the casing shown in FigV,with the base cover of the meter chamber removed to show the j pair ofinter-meshing rotary displacement members, by which the meteringindicating mechanism is actuated. a I

Fig. VII is an irregular plan sectional View of said casing taken on theline VII, VII in Fig. III, 10 showing the bearing for the fulcrum shaftof the pump operating lever. v l

I. Fig. VIII is an oblique sectional view takenon' the line VIII, VIIIin Fig. III, in the direction of the arrows on said line, showing thegearing 1E train connecting one displacement member with the indicator,a drain port from the register chamber, and the restricted passagewaythrough which air and other gases may be eliminated from the liquid anddischarged from said casing into the container subjacent thereto.-

The container I, shown in Fig. II, isan open-- topped cylindrical sheetmetal vessel with" annular corrugations 2 pressed therein tostiffen it.Said container l is conveniently rendered readili '25 portable bysupporting it upon the flange 3 of. the truck frame 4 which is supportedby a pair of wheels 5 having the axle 6 in said frame. Said container. Iis temporarily closed at its upper end by the removable cover I whichhas the downward turned rim .8 overhanging the top edge .I' of saidcontainer, so that said cover may not be displaced laterally withrespect to said container. Said cover has the keeper plate Itconvenienetly fixed thereon by rivets H, shown in- Fig. I, and saidplate has the upwardly extending flange I2 which, as shown in Fig. II,is adapted to be engaged by the hook block 23 which is carried by thebolt 14 in said truck frame 4 and adjustably secured by any suit- "40able means, for instance, the wing nut 55 and the lock washer l6; shownin Fig. II, with the effect of rigidly clamping said container and itscover I in closed position on said truck frame. h

Said removable cover I carries the entire metering pump and dispensingstructure, contained within the casing l8. Said casing is convenientlydetachably connected with said cover I bya circular series of threescrews it, one of which is shown at the right of Fig. III. The holes IQfor the other two screws are shown in Fig. IV.

As shown in Fig. III, said casing It! has the screw threaded socket 20at the bottom thereof engaged with the upper end of the pump cyl inder2! which extends to the bottom of the liquid containing space in thecontainer i. Said Cylinder has at its lower end the casing 23 in whichthe foot valve 24 is mounted for vertical The piston 25 is mounted toreciprocate in said cylinder 2i with the piston ring 25* in contact,"therewith. :Said piston has a circular series of ports 25 extendingvertically therethrough,

' which are normally closed by the piston valve 26 which is a diskmounted to reciprocate vertically on the piston rod 21, which is rigidlyconnected with said piston 25 by the nut 27*. Said rod 21 has lateralprojections 211* which limit the vertical reciprocation of said pistonvalve it. That construction is such that when the piston is drawnupwardly the valve 25 is closed and the valve 2d is opened and theliquid drawn into the cylinder 2 l. However, upon downward movement ofsaid piston 25 by the rod 2'! the valve 2 is closed to trap the liquidin the cylinder 25 and the valve '26 is opened to permit the liquid topass through the piston ports 25 above the piston, so that whenthe'piston is again raised liquid is not only drawn into the cylinderbelow the, piston, but, the liquid alcovev the piston is" dischargedfrom the upper end of said cylinder. Such reciprocation of the piston 25is effected by providing the upper end of said rod N with the gear rackH shown in Fig; III, which is casing i3.

mounted to slide inthe bearing 2W in said As shown in Fig. III, theteeth of said rack 2'1" are engaged with the sectoral gear 29 which ismounted toturn through an arc of one hundred eighty degrees in thebearing 2% in said casing i8, so that the extent of the verticalreciprocation of said piston is limited by the arcuate extent of theteeth of said sectoral gear 29.

As shown in Fig. III, said sectoral gear 29 has a in unitary relationtherewith the cam 38 having tremely rugged in construction, andconsequently opposite; parallel plane abutment surfaces St and 39 meansfor limiting/the.reciprocation of the pis ton are not only positive inoperation, but exdurable.

I find it convenient to form said sectoral gear 29 and cam 30 in unitaryrelation with the fulcrum shaft iii of the lever 32, shown in Fig. II.Said lever is provided at its free-end with the handle 32 for through anarc of one hundred eighty degrees fromthe position of said leverindicated infull lines in Fig. III, in which the piston 25 is at-thelower limit of its stroke, to the position indicated in dotted lines inFig. III, in which the piston is :at the upper limit of its stroke.

, The lubricant liquid with more or less air and other gas occludedtherein thus raised from the container 5 through the cylinder 2! issqueezed through the air separatorchamber 34, shown in Fig. III. Saidchamber has the liquid discharge port 3% and the restricted dischargevent 3 5 for the lighter fluids, including air and otherogases whichvare separated from the viscous liquid as convenient manual oscillationthe latter is squeezed insaid chamber 34 by the pressure of said pistonon each of its upward strokes.

As shown in Fig. VIII; said restricted vent 36 is in communication withthe passageway 36 extending downwardly through said casing l8, andopening through said cover I into the in terior of said container I, sothat any liquid carried out with the extruded lighter fluids is returnedto the mass of fluid in said container.

The liquid port 35 from said separator cham.-,

ber 34 is normally closed by the ball alve 3'2 under pressure of thehelical spring 38 which is designed to ofier the proper amount ofresistance to the passage of liquid through said port to effect theelimination of the lighter fluids from the liquid Which is to bedispensed. Said port 35 leads to the meter chamber 39 which, as showninFig. VI, contains the pair of similar rotary displacement elements 48and 4! respectively rigidly connected with shafts 4m and M The upperends of said shafts are journaled in the diaphragm I8 of said casing I8,andthe lower ends of said shafts are journaled in the base member l8 ofsaid casing 58 which serves as an abutment for the lower end ofsaidspring 38 and as a cover for said chamber 39. Said base member l8 isrigidly connected with said casing 58 by a circular'series of ten screwsI8, the head of one of which is shown at the right of Fig. III. The tenholes i in the casing l8 in which said screws are engaged are shown inFig. VI.

As shown in Fig. VIII; said shafts Ml and M arerespectively rigidlyconnected with the intermeshed gears 46 and M in thegear chamber. M3.The pinion 45, which is rigidly connected with said shaft 46*, is inmesh with the gear d6 on the shaft 4'! which is journaled in the plate48 which forms the top wall of said gear chamber 44. Said plated? isrigidly connected with said casing 18 bysix screws 48*; of which two areshown in Fig. VIII. The holes for said screws are shown at it in Fig.,V. Said plate as is precisely located, in said casing l8, by two studs48 on said casing which project into holes in said plate, as shown inFig. III.

As shown in Fig. VIII; said shaft 4'! is rigidly connected with thepinion 49 in mesh with the gear 50 in the register chamber it of saidcasing l8. Said gear 55 is rigidly connected with the register drivingshaft 5! journaled in the reg-- ister casing 52 and in the dial plate53; which latter is held in said casing is by screws 5.3" and carriessaid casing 52'. The pinion 54 in said casing 52 is rigidly connectedwith said shaft '5! and in mesh with the friction driving gear 55 of theregister mechanism. Said gear 55 is journaled on the sleeve 56 betweenthe reset cam 56 and the friction ring 56 which latter is fixed on theend of said sleeve. The dished plate spring 58 bears against. the lowerend of said cam 55 and its perimeter presses said gear into frictionalengagement with 7 said ring EG Said sleeve 56 is rigidly connected withthe indicator shaft which carries the rotary index pointer 6|; so thatturning movement of said friction driving gear 55 normally turnssaidpointer 6! which traverses the circular scale of graduations 53 on saiddial plate 53.

The arrangement of said registering and indicating mechanism is suchthat the latter mani- 40 and 4l,.through said chamber 39, its outletport 63 and the hose coupling 64. For instance, the graduations 53indicate volumetric units, conveniently pints and fractions thereof.However, the dial 53 may be graduated to indicate the quantity of greasedispensed in liters, pounds, or other units.

Said coupling (it is connected with the flexible dispensing hose 55which has at its free end the nozle provided with the check valve 6'! toprevent dripping of the liquid from said nozle in the intervals betweendispensing operations.

Inorder to zeroize said pointer ti with respect to said scale 53*, Irigidly connect the bevel gear 69 with said shaft til. As shown in Fig.

III, the bevel pinion H3 is in mesh with said bevel gear 69. Said pinionis fixed. on the zeroizing shaft II which is journaled in the bearingbracket 52 on the casing 52 and adapted to be manually turned by theknob i i on said shaft H, only in the direction of the arrow on saidknob, to return said pointer Elite zero. Said knob ll is journaled inthe bearing m in said casing i8, and engages said shaft only by a pawlwithin the knob, so that the latter cannot be turned to advance saidpointer by engagement with shaft H; has its outer end connected withsaid register casing 52 and its inner end engages the single ratchettooth 5d of said reset cam 56 and stops said sleeve 56 and the pointertil at zero position, when the latter is turned counterclockwise by themanual rotation of the knob H in the direction of the arrow on said knobin Fig. III, despite the frictional engagement of said spring 58 withsaid gear tit, which turn said pointer clockwise.

Such a zeroizing operation should be manually effected after eachdispensing operation; when said gear 55 is idle and is held stationaryby the then stationary liquid compressed in the meter chamber 39, whichthen holds stationary the displacement elements 40, ll and the gearingtrain connecting them with said gear 55.

As the shafts 40 M and ll are not provided with any packing means, it ispossible that after continued use, the liquid being dispensed may seepinto the register chamber I8 Therefore, I find it convenient to providethe drain hole 36* drilled in the casing l8 from said chamber Hi into,the drain port 3%, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. III; so that anysuch surplus liquid may escape back into the subjacent container throughsaid drain port 36 I prefer to provide said casing it with the readilyremovable transparent cap la conveniently formed of Bakelite, Pyrolin,or other flexible resilient plastic material. However, the indicatormay, of course, be used without any cover.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction, arrangement, or method of operation herein set forth, asit is obvious that various modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the essential features of my invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim: i

1. In liquid dispensing apparatus, including a pump cylinder, a pistonmounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a rod rigidly connected to saidpiston at one end, a gearrack rigidly connected with the other end ofsaid rod, a gear in mesh with said rack, and a shaft carrying said gear;the combination with a single cast metal casing including a socketrigidly connected to one end The pawl l2, shown in Fig, VIII,

of said cylinder, a slide bearing for said rack, a journal bearing forsaid gear and shaft, a

separator chamber for liquid and lighter fluids, a

with said meter members, journaled in parallel bearings in said casing,and extending from said meter chamber into said gear chamber;registering mechanism, in said register chamber; in-

termeshed gears in said gear, casing, respectively rigidly connectedwith said shafts; a pinion on one of said shafts, in said gear chamber;and a trainof gearingin said gear chamber, and extending in saidregister chamber, operatively con,- necting said pinion with saidregister mechanism.

2. In liquid dispensing apparatus, including a pump cylinder, a pistonmounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a foot valve in said cylinder,a check valve in said piston, and a rod rigidly connected to said pistonat one end; the combination with a gear rack rigidly connected with theother end of said rod, having a series of gear teeth and two toothlessabutment surfaces, respectively at opposite ends of said series; of asectoral gear having an arcuate series of teeth continually in mesh withsaid rack teeth; and a cam integral with said gear and having twoabutments, respectively at the opposite ends of said series of gearteeth, adapted to alternately contact with said abutment surfaces onsaid rack; a fulcrum shaft in integral coaxial relation with said gearand cam; and a hand operative lever, rigidly connected with said shaft;whereby, the moverevolution of said shaft, and the extent of the strokeof thepiston is positively limited bysaid cam.

3. In liquid dispensing apparatus, including a pump cylinder having afoot valve at one end thereof, a piston mounted to reciprocate in saidcylindena check valve carried by said piston, a

piston rod having one end rigidly connected with said piston, and a gearrackrigidly connected with the other end of said rod; of a casing havinga'socket rigidly connected with the end of said cylinder opposite tosaid foot valve; a fulcrum shaft bearing in said casing; a fulcrum shaftjournaled in said bearing; a sectoral gear carried by said shaft and inmesh with the teeth of said rack; a cam carried by said shaft, havingmeans for limiting the reciprocatory movement of said piston byencountering said rack; a handle lever rigidly connected with saidfulcrum shaft, whereby said shaft and sectoral gear may be oscillatedthrough an arc of less than one revolution and positively, stopped bysaid cam at each said casing; whereby the liquid to be dispensed may bedrawn into said cylinder past said foot valve and squeezed from saidcylinder into said separator chamber by oscillation of said lever andconsequent reciprocation of said piston; a restricted vent opening fromsaid separator chamber for the escape of lighter fluids squeezed fromthe liquid to be dispensed; a liquid outlet port from said separatorchamber; a spring pressed -ment of said lever is limited to less thanone 65 end of its movement; a separator chamber in check valve normallyclosing said liquid outlet port; a meter chamber in said casing incommunication with said outlet port from said separator chamber; anoutlet port from said meter chamber and a hose'coupling leading fromsaid outlet port; a flexible dispensing hose connected with saidcoupling; a pair of displacement rotary elements mounted in said meterchamber with their axes parallel and each including projections whichmesh with the other; respective axial shafts rigidly connected with saidrotary elements and journaled in said casing; a gear chamber in saidcasing adjoining said meter chamber, and into which the shafts of saidrotary elements project; respective gears fixed on saidshafts in saidgear chamber and in mesh with each other; whereby said rotary elementsare rotated in opposite directions by the passage of the liquid throughsaid meter chamber under pressure from said piston; a pinion fixed onthe shaftof one of said rotary elements in said gear chamber; indicatingmechanism including a rotary index pointer, in coaxial relation with acircular scale having graduations indicating volumetric units;registering mechanism operatively connected with said pointer andincluding a drivinggear; a train of gearing connecting said pinion withsaid driving gear, whereby the quantity of liquid dispensed through saidmeter chamber is measured and registered by said indicating mechanism;and means, journaled in said casing,

' shaft journaled in said bearing; a sectoral gear carried by said shaftand in mesh with the teeth of said rack; a cam carried by said shaft,having means for limiting the reciprocatory movement of said piston byencountering said rack; a handle lever rigidly connected with saidfulcrum shaft, whereby said shaft and sectoral gear may be oscillatedthrough an arc of less than one revolution and positively stopped bysaid cam at each end of its movement; a separator chamber in saidcasing; whereby the liquid to be dispensed may drawn into said cylinderpast said foot valve and squeezed from said cylinder into said separatorchamber by oscillation of said lever and consequent reciprocation ofsaid piston; a restricted vent opening from said separator chamber forthe escape of lighter fluids squeezed from the liquid to be dispensed; aliquid outlet port from said separator chamber; a spring pressed checkvalve normally closing said liquid outlet port; a meter chamber in saidcasing in communication with said outlet port from said separatorchamber; an outlet port from said member chamber and a hose couplingleading from said outlet port; a flexible dispensing hose connected withsaid coupling; a pair of displacement rotary elements mounted in saidmeter chamber with their axes parallel and each including projectionswhich mesh with the other; respective axial shafts rigidly connectedWith said rotary elements and journaled in said casing; a gear chamberin said casing adjoining said meter chamber, and into which the shaftsof said rotary elements project; respective gears fixed on said shaftsin said gear chamber and in mesh with each other; whereby said rotaryelements are rotated in opposite directions by the passage of the liquidthrough said meter nism operatively connected with said pointer andincluding a driving gear; a train of gearing connecting said pinion withsaid driving gear, whereby the quantity of liquid'dispensed through saidmeter chamber is measured and registered by said indicating mechanism;means, journaled in said casing, for zeroizing said registeringmechanism; a base member for said casing forming a detachable cover forsaid meter chamber;

means detachably rigidly connecting said base member with said casing; acover for a container for the material to be dispensed, having anopening; and means detachably securing said casing and base member inrigid relation with said cover with the vent for lighter fluids in saidcasing in registry with the opening'insaid container cover; whereby thefluids escaping through said vent in the separator chamber aredischarged thrcugh said container cover.

5. In liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination with a pump cylinderhaving a foot valve at one end thereof; of a piston mounted toreciprocate in said cylinder; a check valve carried by said'piston; apiston rod having one end rigidly connected with said piston; means onsaid rod limiting the opening movement of said piston valve; a gear rackrigidly connected with the other end of said rod; a casing having asocket rigidly connected. with the end of said cylinder opposite to saidfoot valve; a fulcrum shaft bearing in said casing; a fulcrum shaftjournaled in said bearing; a sectoral'gear carried by said shaft and inmesh with the teeth of said rack; a cam carried by said shaft formingabutment means for limiting the reciprocatory movement of said piston bysaid abutment means alternately encountering said rack; a handle leverrigidly connected with said fulcrum shaft, Whereby said shaft andsectoral gear may be oscillated through an arc of less than onerevolution and positively stopped by said abutments at each end of itsmovement; a separator chamber in said casing; whereby the liquid to bedispensed may be drawn into said cylinder past said foot valve andsqueezed from said cylinder into said separator chamber by oscillationof said lever and consequent reciprocation of said piston; a restrictedvent opening from said separator chamher for the escape of lighterfluids squeezed from the liquid to be dispensed; a liquid outlet portfrom said separator chamber; a valve for said liquid outlet port; aspring in said casing normally closing said port by said valve; a meterchamber in said casingin communication with said outlet port from saidseparator chamber; an outlet port from said meter chamber, through whichthe liquid is dispensed; a hose coupling 7 leading from'said outletport; a flexible dispensing hose connected with said coupling; a pair ofdisplacement rotary elements mounted in said meter chamber with theiraxes parallel and each including projections which mesh with the other;respective axial shafts rigidly connected with said rotary elements andjournaled in said mesh with each other; whereby said rotary elements arerotated in opposite directions by the passage of the liquid through saidmeter chamber under pressure from said piston; a pinion fixed on theshaft of one of said rotary elements 10 in said gear chamber; indicatingmechanism ineluding a rotary index pointer, in coaxial relation with acircular scale having graduations indicating volumetric units;registering mechanism operatively connected with said pointer andineluding a driving gear; and a train of gearing connecting said pinionwith said driving gear,

whereby the quantity of liquid dispensed through a said meter chamber ismeasured and registered by said indicating mechanism.

JAY RE 'ISEMA.

